Thirteen
by quietthinker
Summary: Cindy's birthday is approaching fast, and Jimmy may or may not have something big planned. COMPLETE.
1. The Candy Bar

**Disclaimer: I do not own Jimmy Neutron or any related characters.**

Jimmy impatiently tapped his pencil against the table. He bit on the end of the eraser for a moment before sighing and placing it down. "Come on, Jimmy. You're a genius. You can do this," he whispered to himself. He took a few deep breaths and rubbed the back of his neck. After he had calmed down, he picked up his pencil again and continued working.

As Jimmy continued writing, Cindy entered the Candy Bar. She took a quick glance around and noticed Jimmy sitting at a table near the window. She smiled and walked over to him. She sat across from the boy genius.

"Hey," she casually said.

Jimmy quickly moved his pupils to see who was sitting next to him. He smiled a little when he saw that it was Cindy, but continued writing. "Hey," he responded.

Cindy tried to get a good look at what he was writing, but his head was bent over it. "So, is that homework?"

Jimmy held up a finger to silence her for a moment and finished writing a sentence. He then folded the piece of paper in half and placed it in his pocket. "Uh, something like that." He leaned back in his seat and took a sip from his shake. "So, what brings you here?"

Cindy sighed. "I'm bored. I can't find Carl, Libby, or even Sheen. Do you have any idea where everyone is?"

Jimmy thought for a moment. "Well, Sheen's at an Ultralord convention. Libby's gone to the mall with her mom. And Carl is out with Bolbi at some petting zoo."

Cindy nodded. They both sat in silence for a few moments, not sure what to talk about. They didn't usually hang out alone together.

"Can we take a ride in your hover car?" Cindy asked.

Jimmy was a little surprised at her request, but shook his head. "I need to make some repairs on it."

After another few seconds of awkward silence, Cindy realized an excellent topic to talk about. "So, you know who's turning thirteen soon?"

Jimmy smiled. "Hmmmm, could it be you?"

Cindy nodded. "Yep. I'm finally going to be a teenager on..."

"December 14, one week from today," Jimmy finished.

Cindy cocked an eyebrow, clearly impressed. "I can't believe you remembered."

Jimmy shrugged. "Photographic memory, remember?"

Cindy rapped her knuckles against the table. "You know, you don't _have_ to buy me anything," she innocently told him.

Jimmy laughed. "Don't worry, I'm not planning on _buying_ you anything."

Cindy frowned and glared at him. "Good."

Jimmy just stared at her. She spun around and left the restaurant. "See ya later, Nerdtron."

Jimmy put down his shake and sighed. He rubbed his temple for a moment before pulling out his piece of paper again and continuing on his work.


	2. You're Late

Disclaimer: I do not own Jimmy Neutron or any related characters.

Cindy shoveled down her breakfast the following Monday. She took a final swig of orange juice and headed out the door. "Have fun at school, dear!" she could hear her mom shout from the living room.

"I will! Love you, mom!" she shouted back while running out the front door.

Cindy got to the bus stop just as the large vehicle was pulling up. She took a few seconds to straighten out her hair before climbing aboard. She waved hello to her various classmates and took a seat next to her best friend, Libby.

"So, how's the birthday girl doing?" Libby asked while turning off her walkman.

Cindy laughed. "Shut up, Libs. I've still got five more days until I turn thirteen."

Libby nodded and looked out the window. Suddenly Sheen popped his head up from the seat behind them. "Ah yes, thirteen. It was a golden age, full of adventure and delight. I call it the year of adventure and delight."

Cindy shook her head in distress as the bus rolled onward towards its destination. "Estavez, why do I hang out with you again?" she tiredly asked.

Libby sighed. "Because you're friends with me, I'm Sheen's girlfriend, he's friends with Carl, Carl is Jimmy's best friend, and Jimmy is your secret crush."

Carl poked his head up as well. "It's a vicious cycle," he agreed.

Cindy blushed a little at the mention of Jimmy. "And what exactly makes you think I love that big-headed Nerdtron?" she quietly asked.

Sheen, Carl, and Libby looked at each other for a second before exploding into conversation. "The whole stranded on an island thing."

"You asked him to help you at that talent show."

"You got in a catfight with April."

"You're always checking him out."

"You said he was a hunk muffin."

"She said that?"

"Yeah, at Jet's wedding."

"Wow, that is so creepy."

"That's what I thought."

Everybody immediately shut up as Cindy cast them an evil glare. "It's not my fault we fell over the side, I needed someone to help me, April was a jerk, I was looking _behind_ him, and I never said that," she explained as she hopped off the bus.

Cindy was clenched her teeth as she climbed the stairs and headed towards her locker. _How dare they think I like him! I so do not! Well, maybe a little...but it's none of their damn business!_

"I so do not love that Neutron!" she said to herself as she slammed her locker door shut.

"Nobody said you did," Jimmy told her. Cindy jumped backwards as he appeared from behind the door to the locker she had just slammed shut.

"I was, uh, and Libby, she...she had this crazy, uh, idea," Cindy muttered as she slung her backpack around her shoulder and headed towards her first class.

Jimmy nodded his head as if deep in thought. "Uh-huh. Very interesting."

After a few more minutes had passed, she looked behind her to see that Jimmy was still following her. "Isn't your class on a different floor?"

Jimmy shrugged. "There's still ten minutes until the bell rings. Why, am I disturbing your ever so precious psyche?"

Cindy tightened her grip around her backpack in anger. "No, it's just that you're following me around like some stupid lovesick puppy."

She turned around to see Jimmy's reaction. He was just leaning against a locker, smiling. "Ouch. That really hurts, Cind."

Cindy took a step closer and glared at him. She opened her mouth to speak, but the bell rang. She stepped into her classroom, which was right in front of her. "You're late," she said with a small laugh.

Jimmy stared after her for a moment before running to his class.


	3. Lunchtime

****

Disclaimer: I do not own Jimmy Neutron or any related characters.

Later that day Cindy was eating lunch with her female classmates when Jimmy casually walked over and took a seat next to her. Cindy was shocked.

The mechanics of lunch at the middle and high school level are very complex. Each school and each grade his its own set of distinct rules. In some schools, jocks, nerds, cheerleaders, and normal people each have their own separate eating area. In others, grades sit together. One fad that is dying out is boys and girls are being separated. And this was the case in the sixth grade lunchroom of Retroville Elementary School.

"What are you doing here?" Cindy seethed. The other girls giggled at Cindy's interaction with her 'guest'.

Jimmy grabbed one of her fries and popped it into his mouth. "What, a guy can't sit with his friend at lunch."

Cindy sent him a glare that sent shivers down his spine, a rare feat these days. Jimmy nervously cleared his throat, seeing how serious Cindy was. "I, uh, I was just wondering what you might want for your birthday," he whispered.

Cindy's glare softened a little, but she still stared at him. "I thought you weren't buying me a present."

The other girls became deafly quiet and stared on at this unfolding show. "This is _so_ better than my soaps," one girl whispered.

"Jimmy tugged on his collar and shrugged. "I was just curious."

Cindy sent a fierce look at her fellow table companions, who had started to giggle. They quieted down, and Cindy turned her attention back to Jimmy. "This is not the time, _Nerdtron_," she told him, putting extra emphasis on his nickname.

Jimmy just nodded and stood back up. "Yeah, ok." He turned towards the other ladies and put his smile back on. "Ladies," he casually said before walking back to Sheen and Carl.

"Was that your boyfriend?" a new girl innocently asked.

Everyone else at the table gasped, knowing that she had treaded into dangerous waters. Cindy, trying to control her temper, turned towards the girl.

"What did I say?" she quietly asked.

Cindy moved a little closer to the girl and stared her in the eyes. "Jimmy Neutron," she calmly explained, "is not my boyfriend."


	4. The Bus Ride

**Disclaimer: I do not own Jimmy Neutron or any related characters.**

The next day Cindy skipped a little as she ran out her front door. _Only four days until I'm a teenager!_ She saw that Jimmy was already leaning against the bus stop, waiting for their ride to arrive. "Hey," she said.

Jimmy grinned and eyed her a little before responding. "Hey." Just then the bus pulled up. Cindy went in first and took a seat a few rows down. She was a little surprised to see Jimmy take a seat next to her, but she just turned to him and smiled.

"So, enjoying your last few days as a kid?" he asked her.

Cindy nodded. "I still can't believe my birthday's only..."

"Four days away," Jimmy finished. Cindy smiled even wider as he showed that he remembered. "You know," Jimmy began, "if I were having a birthday, I would have the common decency to tell people what I wanted. You know, I think that would be the right thing to do. But then again, that's just me. I'm just a giver, always thinking about others."

Cindy raised an eyebrow as she studied his face. "Alright Neutron, why do you want to know what I want so bad? You already told me you don't want to buy me something, and I sure as heck don't want one of your deadly inventions in my house." Cindy regretted insulting his inventions, but she was relieved when she saw him laugh.

"Understood," Jimmy happily told her.

Cindy leaned a little closer to him, definitely curious about what he was planning now. "So, do you really want to know what I want?"

Jimmy nodded. "Yep."

Cindy leaned back and closed her eyes, trying to envision the perfect birthday. "I'd want to be on the beach on the night of my birthday. It would be dark, but the moon would be full. And I'd have a flower tucked behind my right ear," she said while feeling the hair tucked behind her ear.

"I'd want to be with the guy that I liked, whoever that is. And I would want to have a romantic dinner, a picnic really. And he would be a real gentleman. And he would look in my eyes and tell me how beautiful I was. And then as we got home, he'd walk me to my door and stare at me for a moment. And it would just be, perfect." She opened her eyes and stared intently at Jimmy. "That's what I want for my birthday."

Jimmy's smile slowly disappeared. "Oh. I was thinking more along the lines of a card."

Cindy became angry. "You asked, Spewtron."

Jimmy sadly nodded as he got up from his seat. The bus had stopped in front of their school. "Guess I did. See ya," he said while walking inside.


	5. Happy Birthday, Cind

Disclaimer: I do not own Jimmy Neutron or any related characters.

Cindy angrily stormed into her house. She plopped onto the couch in her living room and tried to turn on the TV, but the batteries in the remote were broken. She tossed it aside and angrily punched the pillows next to her.

"Damn Jimmy. You think after all the hinting around he's been doing all week, he'd have done something!" she angrily muttered while laying down.

It was five o'clock on Saturday, her birthday. She had spent the day with her parents and then Libby. She had seen Jimmy a few times, but he had only said a quick hello before going back to Sheen and Carl.

Cindy deeply sighed. _Who was I kidding? Neutron may be the smartest kid on Earth, but he doesn't know anything about love_. She jumped off of the couch and climbed the stairs to her room.

"Stupid Neutron and his...Neutronness. I hate him!" she shouted as she swung the door open to her room and flicked on the light switch.

"Well, that makes me feel real special," Jimmy said. He was sitting on her bed, checking his watch. "Took you long enough to come up here.

Cindy jumped back in shock and clutched her heart. "Neutron, what the hell are you doing in my bedroom? And how the hell did you get in here?" she asked.

Jimmy pointed to the open window. "Hey, I just wanted to give you your birthday present, albeit in an unorthodox manner," he said while tossing her a small wrapped box.

Cindy caught it and stared at the box, then Jimmy, and then the box again. "You better pray this is one good gift," she angrily muttered.

Jimmy watched in interest as she tore off the wrapping paper and opened the box. "It's a...blindfold?" she angrily asked.

Jimmy seemed a little shocked. "What, you don't like it?"

Cindy clenched her fist around the fabric and advanced towards Jimmy. "You better start running," she slowly instructed him.

Jimmy just stayed where he was and pointed towards the window. Cindy clenched her teeth and turned towards it. She saw Jimmy's hover car floating outside. She turned back to a smiling Jimmy.

"Come on, Cind. Did you really think I was going to give you a blindfold for your birthday? Put it on," he instructed her.

Cindy hesitated a moment before tying it around her eyes. "Where are we going?"

Jimmy laughed and grabbed her arm. "Trust me. You'll like it." He tightened his grip around her arm and led her into the hover car. They drove in almost complete silence for half an hour. A couple of times Cindy asked where they were going, but Jimmy refused to tell.

Finally, Jimmy landed the hover car and turned towards Cindy. "Alright, you can take the blindfold off now."

Cindy took it off and looked around. They were on a beach. "Where are we?"

Jimmy just got out of his seat and grabbed Cindy's hand. He led her off the hover car and stopped when they stepped onto the sound. He pulled his hypercube out of his pocket and reached his arm inside. He smiled as he pulled out a flower and tucked it behind her right ear. "You look beautiful," he happily told her.

Cindy blushed as Jimmy gently kissed her cheek and led her further down the beach. Cindy looked around at her surroundings. She could see a vast array of palm trees on the edge of a jungle. She squinted, and thought she could make out houses in the trees. "Jimmy, is this where we were..."

"Stranded?" Jimmy finished. Cindy nodded her head in amazement. "Yep, two years ago. Hard to believe it's been that long, huh?" he asked while they continued to walk down the beach. "And I'll tell you, it wasn't easy to find this place again. It's uncharted for a reason."

"Well, here we are," Jimmy told her as they stopped walking.

Cindy gasped and held her hand over her mouth. In front of them was a beautiful picnic. The moon and stars were directly above them. Two candles were lit in the center of the blanket. Silver trays held various fancy foods while Jimmy poured some sparkling apple cider into wine goblets. Cindy took a seat as he handed her a class. "Thanks," was all she could manage to say.

Jimmy nodded as he swished the contents in his drink around. He cleared his throat and held his glass up. "Here's to you, Cindy. Tonight your life as a kid ends and one as an adult begins. Cheers," he said while they clanged glasses.

Cindy sat frozen for a moment, taking everything in. "You, you did all of this?" she finally asked. Jimmy nodded. "So you came here, set all of this up, came back to my house to pick me up, waited in the darkness of my room, and then drove me all the way back here?"

Jimmy just nodded. "You only turn thirteen once, Cind. Might as well make it special."

Cindy was still in shock. "Jimmy, I can't believe you did this. This is hands-down the most romantic, special, nicest thing that anyone has ever done for me. Thanks," she said while smiling widely at him.

After they finished their dinner, Jimmy took something out of his pocket. "I hope you don't mind I took this off your dresser," he told her while handing her something. It was the pearl he had given her two years ago on a golden chain.

"I wanted to see you add this to it," he said while handing her another pearl.

Cindy fingered it before sliding it down the chain. "Where did you get this?"

Jimmy motioned behind her to see a stack of dozens of oyster shells. "It will be a little tradition. Each birthday, you can sit and enjoy a nice dinner, and I'll dig through a hundred oysters," he joked.

Jimmy looked at his watch and frowned a little. "Damn it. It's getting late. Your parents will be expecting you home soon," he said while standing up. He grabbed her hand and helped her up.

Jimmy turned around to go back to the hover car, but Cindy stopped him. He turned back around to face her. "Yeah?"

Cindy took a few steps toward him and tilted her head back to look up at him. "Jimmy...thanks," she whispered to him. She gently kissed his cheek. As she pulled away, their eyes connected. She moved her head forward to kiss him.

Jimmy put his finger on her lips and gently pushed her away. "Save something for _my_ birthday," he whispered to her. Cindy giggled a little as they both headed to his hover car.

Forty minutes later, Jimmy parked the hover car in the street outside Cindy's house and walked her to her door. They stared at each other for a moment.

"Happy birthday, Cindy," Jimmy said before turning around.

"Wait," Cindy said while grabbing his arm. He turned back around and stared into her eyes. They edged a little closer.

Jimmy smiled before their lips collected. "Screw it. Just get me a card for my birthday," he said before deeply kissing her.

Just before he was about to pull away, Cindy's dad came out onto the porch with a cup of coffee. He set it down on the windowsill in anger and glared at Jimmy.

Jimmy opened his eyes in time to see Cindy's dad walking towards them. He pulled away from Cindy and quickly brushed a few loose strands of hair out of her eyes. "Gotta blast," he said while hopping into his hover car and driving away, Cindy'sfather chasing after him and waving his fist.

Cindy just smiled as he watched Jimmy disappear into the horizon. She sighed dreamily before spinning around and walking back inside the house.


End file.
